I chose Japan for my future career.

In order to deepen my technical knowledge--
I decided to go on to graduate school for further technical knowledge after studying Electronics and information science at a university in China. The reason why I chose Japan for higher education over China or the United States is because I thought I would be able to study at the top level of the electronics field, and also to learn the Japanese language.

I enrolled in the Faculty of Informatics and Engineering at the University of Electro-Communications. The focus of my research was Photocatalyst, which was pioneered in Japan and has potential of being a resolution for energy problems. It was a valuable experience for me to learn this field in Japan. My dream is to apply skills I acquired in Japan, in the world and in my country in the future.

A great support for research and job hunt.

I studied for the University entry exam while attending a language school. Starting from zero, using textbooks designed for Japanese students. Studying for the entry exam in Japanese while studying the Japanese language itself gave me a hard time, however, that experience made what I am today.

I received a call directly from a faculty at study abroad center after I passed the exam, and was told that I was eligible for Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students of the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO). This scholarship is for privately financed students and the qualification goes only to those who scored high among international students. I was very much delighted by this news and that was when I was assured that all the hard studying was worth it.

I had a part-time job while attending the language school, but had to cut down the hours when I was busy with my research and job hunting. But I was able to lead my graduate school life focusing on my study and future without any problem because I had a great support from this scholarship.

The place where your effort is acknowledged.

There might be some among international students who are not confident with their Japanese language skills. I,too,had a hard time communicating in Japanese when I first came here.

One of the most important things to remember is to understand their traditional custom and also how the Japanese ways of thinking work. They all voluntarily try to help others and always pay attention to how others feel. I think understanding the custom of the Japanese is one of the tips to fit into their society.

I also realized that this is the society where your effort is acknowledged after all. At the beginning of my graduate school life, my classmates and senpai from the research team were of great help for me.

Also when I first started my part-time job, I was often yelled at for getting in the way of my coworkers. But I studied Japanese hard and as I became smoother with my work I started to gain trust from them. I was very much delighted when the manager gave me an expensive kitchen knife with my name engraved for my birthday.

In Japan, you will be rewarded for your own effort, regardless of your nationality, sex, or age. Even when you make mistakes, they will give you another chance if you give them your sincere apology and they even give you an advice to better yourself.

The prospect after studying in Japan.

In recent years, Japanese companies have been implementing “Globalization” and are looking to hire more and more foreigners. I was hired by Nidec Corporation, a major electrical machinery company in Japan. Through the job hunting process, I noticed that Japanese companies are looking for foreign students with high technical knowledge and great communication skill in Japanese. For the foreigners who want to work in Japan studying in Japan will open a lot of doors.

Japan is the most charming place for the students who are interested in “Manufacturing” like myself. Getting exposed to the top-class technology will definitely be a huge plus in your life. Although there will be tough times with cultural and language differences, if you are thinking about coming to Japan to study, I strongly encourage you to do so and get over those difficulties with your own strength.

Copyright(c) 2012 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. All rights reserved.